Back rest for planklike seats



Jan. 20, 1953 R. MacMlLLAN BACK REST FOR PLANKLIKE SEATS Filed March l,1949 Patented Jan. 2 0, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BACK' REST FoaPLANKmKE SEATS Ronald MacMillan, Windsor, Ontario, Canada' ApplicationMarch 1, 1949, serial No. 79,012

101mm.` (c1. 155-133) This invention relates to improvements in backrests for plank-like seats, and refers particularly to back rests foruse in row boats, on bleacher seats and the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide a back rest which is notmerely readily attachable to and detachable from a plank-like seat, butwhich may also be readily assembled or taken apart and packed in aexible back support which forms part of the assembly, so that the entirerest then occupies a very limited amount of space and may be handilycarried from place to place.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a back rest in theassembly of which no screws, bolts or other similar fastening means areemployed in order to simplify the assembling and disassembling of thedevice.

Having thus briefly stated some of the objects and advantages of theinvention I will now describe a preferred embodiment thereof with theaid of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side view of the invention,

Figure 2 is a front view thereof, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 showingthe top of the device only.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail showing a joint between one upper and onelower member.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail showing the attachment of one engagingmember to a lower member. and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the disassembled parts in theflexible back support.

Referring to the drawing, vI designates a flat plank-like seat uponwhich my back rest is adapted to be mounted. 'I'he latter consistsessentially of two lower members 2, two upper members 3 and a flexibleback support 4. The lower members 2, which are usually tubular and areidentical, are placed parallel to one another so that they extendtransversely over the seat I and are spaced so as to provide suflicientseating room between them. Projecting from the front of each member 2 isan @,Ilgagng member 5 which extends down in front of the seat I andterminates immediately beneath the latter in a rearwardly bentextremity. When the lower members 2 are tubular they may be flattenedadjacent their front extremities each to receive one end of one of theengaging members 5 which are U-shaped. Each member 5 is then secured inits lower member 2 either by centerpunching the latter as shown at 6 inFigure 5, or in any other preferred manner. The rear portions of thelower members 2 are upwardly and rear wardly curved so that their rearextremities 1 are upwardly inclined. The upper members 3, which arepreferably tubular and straight throughout their length, are identical,and are suitably supported on the rear extremities 1 of the lowermembers so that they extend upwardly therefrom. In order that the uppermembers 3 may be readily attached to or detached from the rearextremities 1 of the lower members cooperating engaging means areprovided on the adjacent ends of the upper and lower members. In thepresent instance the upper tubular members 3 are of uniform diameterthroughout their length and the rear extremities 1 of the tubularmembers 2 are of reduced diameter for a short distance from their endsto fit snugly into the upper members 3 and rigidly support the latter.

The back support 4, which is usually made of suitable fabric, is tubularand closed at its upper extremity so that it may be readily mounted overthe upper member 3 and supported upon the upper extremities of thelatter. In order to prevent the upper members 3 being drawn toward oneanother by the weight of a person leaning against the back support 4 asuitable transverse brace 9 is employed which in the present instanceconsists of a somewhat resilient strip of metal. The ends of the latterproject into the slots I0 formed substantially opposite one another inthe upper members 3 intermediately of the height of the latter. Moreoverin order to hold the back support 4 in position opposite sides of thelatter may also be slotted at Il for the passage of the ends of thebrace 9 therethrough, in which case the central portion of the saidbrace lies in the rear of the back support 4.

From the foregoing it will be clearly seen that in order to assemble thedevice it is merely necessary to engage the coacting extremities of themember 2 with the members 3, place the back support 4 over the upperends of the upper members 3, and insert the brace 9 in position. Toinstall the device the engaging members 55 are merely brought intoengagement with the front margin of the seat l. Thus not only is my backrest readily demountable, but it may be quickly and easily assembled ordisassembled without recourse to screws or other similar fasteningmeans. Moreover all the separate parts may be placed in the back support4, as diagrammatically shown in Figure 6, and the said support utilizedas a wrapping, so that the disassembled seat 3 back then occupies verylittle room and can be conveniently carried.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiment of the invention hasbeen described and shown, it is understood that alterations andmodifications may be made thereto provided they fall within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What I claim is:

A back rest includingtwo lower tubular members adapted? to liervtransversely and in spaced relation across a plank-like seat, the rearextremities of the lower tubular members beingrearwardly and upwardlyinclined, a substantially U-shaped engaging member-mounted on the frontextremity of eachlower member-and. projecting therefrom to engage thefront margin of the seat, substantially verticalfupperf tubular membersextending upwardly from said .rear extremities, the adjacent extremitiesof the upper and lower tubular members fittingone into the.. other torigidly support the uppermembersQa flexible tubular back support closedat its upper extremity mounted over both thev upper tubular members, anda resilient brace each end of which is in detachable engagement With aslot formed in one of the upper members t0 hold the latter in spacedrelation, said flexible back support being slotted adjacent each sidefor the passage of the brace therethrough to prevent accidentaldetachment ofthe back support.Y

RONALD MACMILLAN.

REFERENCES CITED The-.following references are of record in the le ofthis patent: l

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,422,915" Benson et al. July 18,1922 20 2,137,312 'Thompson Nov. 22, 1938

